On August 9, from my hospital bed at P.D. Hinduja, this is what I can recollect.
Image source: Sushanta Saha Mondal.
I tried to wrap my head around the fact that another 31-year-old, like me, had to die fighting for her life—someone who could have saved many lives. That’s what doctors do. I wanted to raise my voice, but I was speechless, literally. I was dealing with a rare brain disease called Moyamoya, which had caused a stroke, leaving my right side paralysed and affecting my speech.
My parents and cousin saw junior doctors protesting at P.D. Hinduja Hospital for “Abhaya” or “Tilottama,” a postgraduate trainee doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Coincidentally, she was from Sodepur, just like me. The resemblance was uncanny. We even studied at neighbouring schools. When I couldn’t speak in my hospital bed, the medical community and the entire nation stood up for her.
The brutal, hideous, and disgusting event shook the nation and the world. People are mourning and rising in rage. The government acted as if nothing had happened. Instead, they stereotyped the case in hospitals and elsewhere, attempting to tamper with evidence. Mamata Banerjee, the health minister, deliberately failed West Bengal—the healthcare system, the citizens, and future generations. She was responsible for setting up advanced government hospitals across the state, but promises were broken. Instead of providing state-of-the-art healthcare infrastructure and programme, she chose to paint buildings, splurged on exterior and gimmicky décor.
The major concerns are unsuitable duty rooms, broken monitoring systems, inadequate safety measures, non-functional CCTVs, long shifts, equipment shortages, understaffing, and on-call residents living in poor conditions, which forced them to seek comfort while offering comfort to patients.
"WHEN THE WHITE COAT TURNS RED, THE SOCIETY TURNS BLACK."
Image source: PTI
Not only here, but such conditions exist across the nation, where medical professionals are mistreated, and some authorities abuse their power to oppress junior docs. Globally, violence against healthcare workers is particularly high in India and China. Instances like the RG Kar case, where the brutal rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor occurred, are a grievous blow.
"Oh, deep in my heart, I know that I do believe", that the judiciary system will protect the Constitution. Justice is not always an open-and-shut case—sometimes we must fight for it. The streets erupted, and the nation was shaken by a grisly crime, leading to stormy protests. From classrooms to campus to corridors, people were raging, ‘We demand justice.’ Jyoti Basu, a former Chief Minister of West Bengal, once said, "It is man and man alone who creates history. Despite many crests and thrusts, people will finally emerge victorious and walk in freedom in a classless society free from exploitation of any form." We have seen public outcry and civil society movements before such incidents. It is time to evolve rape laws in India. With full faith in the legal system, it is crucial to reassess both the role of the judiciary and societal attitudes to bring about necessary legal reforms.
Image source: X/@MinakshiMukher8
Even during one of the biggest festivals in West Bengal, a group of junior doctors, they staged an indefinite hunger strike in Kolkata to protest the heinous rape and murder of their colleague. Once, Calcutta was known as the city of protest march ("Michhil Nagari"), where people expressed their grudges against issues like state corruption and widespread violence, and now particularly against women. This should be a concern for everyone. Look at the audacity of the Chief Minister/ Health Minister/ Police Minister, and Minister of Home and Hill Affairs, who holds major portfolios—to call for a Carnival of Durga Puja while the entire medical community and citizens are fighting for justice tooth and nail. All eyes on RG Kar.
From 14th to 15th October, apart from emergency medical services, a 12-hour symbolic hunger strike will be held at every hospital campus and private clinic in solidarity with the junior doctors' ongoing indefinite hunger strike. We call it the Carnival of Revolution (Droho Kal). History in the making.
"Pothe ebar namo sathi
pothei hobe poth chena
Jono srotey nanan mote
monorothero thikana
Hobe chena, hobe jana"
By Calcutta Youth Choir
Image source: PTI
"Haal Chherona Bondhu,
Kontho charo jore"
(Never give up, comrade
Raise up your voice)
By Kabir Suman
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